The present invention relates generally to image recording/reproducing method and apparatus for use in writing and reading image information into and from data storage medium, and more particularly to image recording/reproducing method and apparatus capable of writing and reading picture image information at a high speed.
Currently available image recording/reproducing apparatus employing a control apparatus such as a computer having a central processor unit (CPU) to record image information is typically designed to include fixed or “hard” disks as recording media for use in recording/reproduction.
The hard disks are high in access speed and large in data storage capacity and thus suitably adaptable for image information editing applications.
However, such hard disks are relatively high in per-bit recording cost while associating difficulties in exchanging recording media, which makes them inappropriate for use in delivery and long-term storage of image information.
In view of this, in recording systems designed to offer increased image information delivery and long-term data storage capabilities, a need is felt to achieve a technique for recording images on a real-time basis by use of readily removable recording media (referred to as “removable media” hereinafter) low in cost and yet high in exchangeability, including but not limited to digital versatile disk random access memory (DVD-RAM) devices.
Existing removable media, in particular DVD-RAMs, are encountered with difficulties in recording image information at required rates higher than or equal to a prespecified recording speed (e.g., writing image information of 30 kB per frame at a rate of 30 frames per second) while at the same time offering increased recording stability without accompanying any risks of picture frame drop-out defects (i.e. lacking of one frame image or more) in the case where image information is recorded by using a specified write processing scheme that employs standard file access functions as inherently built in an operating system (“OS”).